Coolest Underwater Attractions

Take the plunge to explore cool underwater attractions like shipwrecks, ruins, and even a post office that will mail your card from the deep.

Lake Jocassee, Salem, SC

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The owners of the Attakulla Lodge Hotel refused to sell their land or allow its razing despite rising waters from a newly built dam. That was 1973. Fast-forward to the present, and 300 feet below in the chilly murk, its ghostly hulk rests largely unscathed right down to the peeling paint. Because of the depth, expert divers will have just enough time—maybe 20 minutes out of a 2.5-hour trip—to practice their Jordan dunk on the basketball court. In shallower waters, a nearby cemetery that was used as a location in Deliverance offers additional creepiness (and plastic skeletons).jocasseediveshop.com

Coolest Underwater Attractions

Lake Jocassee, Salem, SC

The owners of the Attakulla Lodge Hotel refused to sell their land or allow its razing despite rising waters from a newly built dam. That was 1973. Fast-forward to the present, and 300 feet below in the chilly murk, its ghostly hulk rests largely unscathed right down to the peeling paint. Because of the depth, expert divers will have just enough time—maybe 20 minutes out of a 2.5-hour trip—to practice their Jordan dunk on the basketball court. In shallower waters, a nearby cemetery that was used as a location in Deliverance offers additional creepiness (and plastic skeletons).jocasseediveshop.com

We’re just beginning to appreciate the depth of the ocean’s wonders, as demonstrated by film director James Cameron’s recent seven-mile free fall to the lowest point of the Mariana Trench, roughly 50 times the size of the Grand Canyon.

While Cameron’s not eager to promote deep-sea tourism, inspired travelers might be surprised by how much we already have to gawk at below the waves. The coolest underwater attractions include ancient ruins, World War II shipwrecks, art, and kitsch—and you don’t necessarily need to be a scuba diver to enjoy them.

Swimming in Belize’s Blue Hole or sidling up to whale sharks make for memorable excursions, but those kinds of natural phenomena and wildlife are a whole other story. Instead, we’re highlighting the surprising array of man-made attractions under the sea that don’t depend on Mother Nature (unless you count an earthquake or two).

Whatever your snorkeling or diving ability, there’s something to see off the southern coast of the candy-colored island Curaçao. A submerged tugboat is easy bait for beginners, while the more advanced can dive deeper to reach car piles about 90 feet below the surface. These ’40s and ’50s models were junked in an ill-conceived attempt at reef building. Where sea life didn’t quite flourish, photo-ops do: you, behind the wheel of a rusty Chevy.

You don’t need to get wet to enjoy Florida’s campy Weeki Wachee Mermaid Show, whose synchronized swimmers have been donning fabric tails since 1947. Another kind of artistry is on display at Cancún’s Underwater Museum, which opened in November 2010 with hundreds of sunken life-size human figures. Corals are gradually transforming these statues into living reefs to haunting effect.

Google has even turned its attention underwater, partnering in the Catlin Seaview Survey, which maps the ocean floor in the vein of Google Street View. And even if Cameron won’t expand the tourist offerings, you can bet Sir Richard Branson will, with (what else?) Virgin Oceanic, testing now.

But there’s no need to wait. Take the plunge now to explore these cool underwater attractions—it’s a brave new world down there.